Dish washing machines

ABSTRACT

This invention consists in a dish washing machine comprising an open fronted (in use) casing, at least one set of rotary brushes mounted close together within said casing on parallel or substantially parallel axes and arranged so as to define a washing zone or area, means for rotatably supporting an article to be washed within said washing zone, spraying means for spraying water into said washing zone, means for collecting and draining away used water, and power means for operatively rotating said brushes.

I Umted States Patent 1151 3,663,979 Shaw 1451 May 23, 1972 [54] S HI MACHINES 2,153,303 4/1939 Feilding ..l5/74 2,666,937 l/1954 Bennetts .....15/74 [72] Inventor: Walter Shaw, Chester, England 2,840,838 7/1958 Brown /74 [73] Asslgnee: & sons Limited Lan- Primary BraminerPat1-ick D. Lawson Attorney-Linton & Linton [22] Filed: Mar. 20, 1969 ABSTRACT [21] AppL No.: 808,811 [57] This invention consists in a dish washing machine comprising an open fronted (in use) casing, at least one set of rotary Forelgn Apphcamm Pnm'ity Dam brushes mounted close together within said casing on parallel Mar. 29, 1968 Great Britain ..15,367/6s or Substantially Parallel axes and ranged as define washing zone or area, means for rotatably supporting an arti- 52 US. Cl ..15/74 cle be Washed Within said Washing spraying means 51 Int. Cl. ..A47l 15/00 Spraying water Said washing means filming 58 Field Of Search ..15/74 56 75 76 101 and draining away used water and meansmmperaive ly rotating said brushes. [561 6 Claim, 41Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,492 6/1925 Mortka ..15/74 Patented May 23, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR; WflLTER SHAW w fiTrO/INEVS Patefited May 23, 1972 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: WALTER s HAW BY Q A Pro (I N Y5 Patented May 23,1972 3,663,979

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 w): LTER SHAW BY Q9 A TTO ENEYS 12 INVENTOR:

DISH WASHING MACHINES This invention relates to dish washing machines and has for its primary object to provide improvements in such apparatus which will obviate the need for prestacking and loading quantities of articles to be washed prior to the commencement of a washing operation, thereby to provide for a substantially continuous washing operation if so desired. A further object is to provide such apparatus which will enable an economy in the amount of washing liquid used, and which embodies a positive washing action incorporating powered rotary brushing elements arranged so as to operate directly upon the articles to be cleansed as opposed to a washing process which is effected solely by liquid jets.

Broadly, according to' the invention, a washing machine comprises an open fronted (in use) casing, at least one set of rotary brushes mounted close together within said casing on parallel or substantially parallel axes and arranged so as to define a washing zone or area, means for rotatably supporting an article to be washed within said washing zone, spraying means for spraying water into said washing zone, means for collecting and draining away used water, and power means for operatively rotating said brushes.

If desired, there may be incorporated in a machine as defined a set or sets, of brushes each comprising an inner brush and one or more outer brushes, said brushes being mechanically rotated and adapted to act simultaneously upon the inner and outer surfaces ofa cup-shaped article put endwise over the inner brush. Also there may be provided a pivotally mounted end brush arranged so as to be swung into an operative position when required so asto bear on the bottom of an article placed over an inner brush in order to retain the article in position endwise while it is rotating about its own axis. Said brushes are shaped and rotated so as to impart a rotary motion to an article placed over same.

Said machine may further comprise means for washing cutlery. Such means may comprise a skeletal trough or troughs wherein an article or articles of cutlery may be placed or supported in operative proximity with a brush or brushes arranged to be mechanically rotated and subject to a spray of washing liquid. Thus, cutlery supported in said trough will be subjected to the washing action of said brushes. The trough or troughs for cutlery may be of semi-cylindrical cross section comprising a perforate or mesh lower part and upstanding side walls of cone like configuration which permits of the operative entry and passes therethrough of the brush elements.

In a preferred form of machine, each set of brushes is seperated from its fellow set of brushes by transmission means, and valve means is or are provided in the spraying system flow line arranged so as to permit the selective spraying of water into one or other or all of the compartments of the machine as desired.

There also is incorporated a spray arm having a spray head embodying a spring influenced press valve whereby a cup or glass or other relatively deep article may be placed over said arm and rinsed internally with a spray of clean water, which may be hot water, before being placed for drying.

The invention is further described with the aid of the accompanying explanatory drawings which illustrate, by way of example only and not of limitation, one embodiment.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional front elevation, and

FIG. 2 a plan view, of a dish washing machine according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a sectional end elevation as viewed from the right hand side of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional end elevation as viewed from the left hand side of FIG. 1.

Referring to said drawings, the machine comprises a casing, generally designated by the numeral 10, the front part whereof is open and divided by forwardly extending partition means 1 1 into a series of compartments 12 each of which contains a series of four renewable brushes 13 mounted on spindles 14 which extend forwardly into said compartments 12 and are supported at their outer ends by bearings 140. Each brush 13 is of a generally frusto conical shape having a diameter of say 2% inches at its small end and say 4 inches at its large end. Each brush may have a length of say 7 inches. The spindles 14 of said brushes are arranged as shown most clearly in FIG. 1 in a rectangular or square formation close together, say at the comers of a square having 2% inch sides, so that the brushes will act simultaneously on opposite sides of the dish inserted edgewise between them, and the brushes in two diagonally opposite positions have their small ends facing forward and the brushes in the other two positions have their large ends facing forward.

The brushes 13 are adapted to be rotated by an electric motor 15 housed in a rear waterproof section 10a of the housing 10 and arranged to drive through an endless belt 16 and pulley wheel 17 onto an input shaft 18 of transmission means (not shown) housed within a waterproof gear casing member 19. Said transmission means is arranged so as to drive the spindles 14 of the brushes 13 independently in the directions illustrated by the arrows in FIG. 1, i.e. whereby the two brushes 13 of each adjacent pair of brushes rotate in opposite directions.

Below each of said sets of brushes 13 are supports for a dish to be washed, said supports comprising in respect of each set of brushes two grooved rollers 20, 20', which may be of rubber or have rubber or like resilient sleeves, and which rollers 20 are mounted on spacedly arranged parallel shafts 21, 21, joumalled in bearings 22, 22'. Said shaft 21 is driven at a relatively slow speed through the medium of a pinion 23 keyed thereto and meshing with a crown wheel 24 carried by a shaft 25 which is driven by a universal shaft 27 from an output shaft 26 of the gear casing 19.

The machine may have a hot water reservoir with means for heating said water to a required temperature or, as shown, it may be adapted for connection to an external hot water supply, e.g. a conventional domestic or like hot water supply system, through the medium of a union 30 having a stop valve 31, and which communicates with a manifold 32. A series of spray pipes 33positioned one at each side of the compartments 12 extend from manifold 32 above the brushes 13 and are arranged so as to direct sprays or jets of cleaning water downwardly (as indicated in FIG. 1 by dotted lines) onto the brushes 13 and dishes being washed thereby.

The lower part of the casing 10 is arranged so as to collect water after use and is provided with means (not shown) suitable for draining away the water collected.

At the right hand side of the apparatus, as viewed in FIG. I. there is provided a set of three brushes, generally indicated by the numeral 40, and which are arranged so as to permit the washing of hollow or cup-shaped articles. Said brushes are carried by forwardly extending shafts 41 extending from the gear casing 19 and driven by the same mechanism as that arranged to drive the brushes 13. The upper brush 40 is arranged so as to rotate in one direction and the lower two brushes in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. In use, a cup-shaped article to be washed is placed over the upper brush and is supported by the lower two brushes and cleaning liquid is sprayed thereon from the adjacent spray pipes 33. Also there may be provided a pivotally mounted end brush as shown in dotted lines 42a, carried on a shaft 42 pivotally mounted at 43 on a bracket 44 attached to the side wall of the housing 10. It will be seen that the end brush may be swung into an operative position when required to bear against the bottom of an article placed over the upper brush 40 in order to retain the article in position endwise while it is rotating about its own axis, said brushes 40 being shaped and rotated so as to impart such rotary motion to an article placed over same.

In the use of a machine as described to wash dishes, such for example as plates and saucers, these are inserted, individually and edgewise, between the brushes 13 within the compartments 12 so as to be supported by the rollers 20. Washing is accomplished by the vigorous action of the revolving brushes 13 which operate simultaneously upon each side of the dishes under a continuous spray of clean hot water from the spray pipes 33 while the dishes are revolved about their axes on said rollers 20. No detergent is normally required and the brushes l3 positively cleanse the articles and the spray of clean water rinses same.

To prevent the entry of water to the motor compartment a of the casing 10, a waterproof cover 10b (FIGS. 3 and 4) is provided therefore, and this cover conveniently may be utilized as a draining support for dishes etcetera to be, or which have been, washed.

Similarly, cup-shaped articles, e.g. cups, glasses and the like, are washed and rinsed as before described without the need for a detergent by the brushes 40.

To provide for the internal rinsing of articles which have been operated upon by the brushes 40, a spray arm 50 is provided which extends outwardly and upwardly (seen more particularly FIGS. 3 and 4) from the manifold 32 and terminates with a spraying head 51 provided with a spring influenced press valve 52. In use, articles which are required to be rinsed before drying can be placed over the spray head 51 so as to depress the press valve 52 and cause a spray of clean rinsing water to operate over the internal surfaces of the article.

It will be seen that a dish washing machine according to the invention will enable dishes (and cutlery if so provided) to be quickly and effectively washed at a speed of operation which is only governed by the rate at which the articles can be handled by an operator. Further, sterilization of dishes or/and cutlery may readily be effected, for example by using water of a sufficiently high temperature or by means of a chemical sterilizer introduced in the water supply by say a metering device attached to the machine.

It will also be clear that the consumption of washing water will be relatively small as compared with dish washing machines which rely upon high pressured jets of washing liquid for the washing operation.

If desired a stop valve 45 may be incorporated in the manifold 32 whereby the brushes 40 may be used to cleanse cup-like articles without the necessity for the spray pipes 33 in respect of the dish-washing compartments 12 to be used.

lclaim:

l. A dish washing machine comprising an open front casing, at least one set of rotary brushes mounted within said casing on substantially parallel axes and arranged to define a washing zone, means for rotatably supporting an article to be washed within said washing zone, spraying means for spraying water into said washing zone, means for collecting and draining away used water, an additional set of rotary brushes for operating upon cup-shaped articles, comprising an inner rotary brush capable of extending within and operating upon the interior of the cup-shaped article and a pair of outer brushes capable of rotatably supporting and operating upon the exterior of said cup-shaped article and means for operatively rotating both sets of said brushes.

2. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a pivotally mounted end brush movable into an operative washing position against the bottom of an article placed over said inner brush and capable of retaining said article in position while being rotated about its axis by said inner brush.

3. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a trough for holding cutlery and a rotatably driven brush adjacent said trough and capable of operating on said cutlery.

4. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 2 including partitions separating each of said sets of brushes and said spraying means includes spray pipes positioned adjacent each set of said brushes.

5. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spraying means includes a manifold connected to said spray pipes and a source of washing water connected to said manifold.

6. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein valve means are incorporated in said manifold and capable of selectively admitting washing water to said spray pipes. 

1. A dish washing machine comprising an open front casing, at least one set of rotary brushes mounted within said casing on substantially parallel axes and arranged to define a washing zone, means for rotatably supporting an article to be washed within said washing zone, spraying means for spraying water into said washing zone, means for collecting and draining away Used water, an additional set of rotary brushes for operating upon cup-shaped articles, comprising an inner rotary brush capable of extending within and operating upon the interior of the cupshaped article and a pair of outer brushes capable of rotatably supporting and operating upon the exterior of said cup-shaped article and means for operatively rotating both sets of said brushes.
 2. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a pivotally mounted end brush movable into an operative washing position against the bottom of an article placed over said inner brush and capable of retaining said article in position while being rotated about its axis by said inner brush.
 3. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a trough for holding cutlery and a rotatably driven brush adjacent said trough and capable of operating on said cutlery.
 4. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 2 including partitions separating each of said sets of brushes and said spraying means includes spray pipes positioned adjacent each set of said brushes.
 5. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said spraying means includes a manifold connected to said spray pipes and a source of washing water connected to said manifold.
 6. A dish washing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein valve means are incorporated in said manifold and capable of selectively admitting washing water to said spray pipes. 